Lucknow: Apparently peeved at the postponement of Shia Central Waqf Board elections by the Uttar Pradesh government, Waqf Minister Mohd Azam Khan today intensified his attack on prominent cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad, terming him a “blackmailer” who did not have support of his own community.

“Instead of facing the elections, he is visiting those whom he used to rebuke during elections. Such a person, who incite ‘rozedars' and try to put the entire state in trouble and arsoning cannot be a religious person but a blackmailer.

He is shying away from elections as he did not have support in his own community,” Khan said in a statement issued here.

He alleged the Shia cleric and his family members are involved in selling Waqf properties and demanded a CBI probe into it.

Khan was also conspicuous by his absence at a programme at Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's residence. The programme, which was scheduled at 11 AM was delayed as Azam did not reach in time and later it was held about two hours late.